As a recovering journalist and current technical writer in the healthcare space, I love reading and writing in addition to dancing and running marathons. I've been to a few feises and Oireachtii (?) and have come upon some interesting, talented authors (Rod Vick and Brenna Briggs). It's neat to see YA novels that have the characters perform Irish Dance, a niche sport in and of itself. Do you have any author recs in addition to Rod and Brenna? I'd love to see more Netflix movies, etc. that focus on our sport.

I ran XC and track in HS--it has the same feel--it's a niche sport but whenever it makes the big screen or into print I'm always excited!

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Looking for someone to do my daughters hair and make up at the NEO

My six year old loves Irish Dance. My wife and I love it for her also, except for putting on the shoes. Has anyone ever used elastic laces for a newer dance until they can tie their own shoes?

I have a pair of Hullachan Pro H3s that are starting to feel not terrible on my feet which means soon enough they'll be too stretched out.

The H3s have the extra arch eyelet, and with my flat feet, the extra pull on the arch seems to help make my arch look better dancing.

But I've been considering buying a pair of Hugs for my next shoe since in theory they shouldn't feel as terrible on my toes with the but of stretch in the heel.

Does anyone here happen to dance in Hugs with flat feet? Any thoughts on how your arches look in them?

Also, for anyone who has worn Hugs & another Hullachan shoe, was your Hugs size the same or different than the other type of Hullachan?

Thanks!

hi! so for the past weeks i’ve been working on exams and admissions for my university application process and I didn’t go to practice like for two weeks. I feel guilty and afraid of not achieving my recall and qualify to Nationals this Oireachtas, but I’m more afraid of losing my technique, stamina or even hurting my ankle and falling.

I want to enjoy it and I know I still have a month to practice and prepare, but I feel guilty. Sometimes prioritizing other things is necessary but I want both.

I just wanted to share my thoughts because I don’t want to feel unprepared that day and not perform as well as I know I can. What would you recommend ? Thank you in advance <3

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Hey y'all! I bought my daughter brand new Rutherford hard shoes mid-September and just the other night, the tongue ripped out of one of them! Several other parents in our school have reported that the buckles have broken already on their less-than-two-month-old shoes as well. This is the first time I bought her brand new shoes -- I've always gotten her used shoes. I'm really not happy with having spent close to $200 and they're already starting to fall apart less than two months in. Is this the typical experience with Rutherfords now???

I’m competing in my first feis this weekend since getting back into dancing. I know that at the youth level placing in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in advanced beginner would advance you to the novice level. I’m competing in adult advanced beginner and there is only one other person competing at the same level, so by default I would either place 1st or 2nd. Would this require me to advance to novice for my next feis? I certainly don’t feel like I’m dancing at that level yet

Hello dancers! Oreichtas is this weekend and the more I practice (and stretch) the more my legs are randomly painfully cramping (especially my thighs). Is there anything I can do to help prevent these? I started taking magnesium and potassium just yesterday. I have a bit of PTSD because last year for this SAME competition, I was practicing the week of and popped my muscle on a landing and wasn't able to compete. I thought I was doing a good job babying my legs more but apparently the uptick in practicing is gonna do me in. And I like dancing full-out in front of teachers at least to get good criticism. Advice on how to help it?

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Hi everyone, I've recently rejoined Irish dancing as a 39 year old adult on the larger side (uk size 16 us size 12). Competing at my first feis in a few weeks and will be wearing a black outfit - black tights and either a black dress or skirt and top/leotard. Have had a look and am so confused, I think I prefer a skirt and top as it would be more fitted. Can't find proper dance wear in my size so have been checking Shein etc. Would love some reviews or recommendations. Thanks so much.

hey i have naturally high kicks and clicks but i cant get them down quickly - any advice? x

My daughters both Irish dance under the CLRG in the UK but we are moving to the US next year. They will only be 5 and 7.5 at the time of the move, so switching organizations is potentially something we would consider. Irish dancing is something they enjoy so we plan to continue it once we move.

In the US, specifically the tristate NYC area, which organization do you think is better?

Thank you!

I recently discovered that there is an Irish Dance discord server. It was shared here a few years ago, but sharing again for the new users!

ps://discord.gg/RSuqBKbCX5

We are going to Oireachtas for the first time and I’m wondering if anyone has a prep list of what to bring/not bring. What bag do you use to store shoes, hair and make up and snacks etc . I find at our local Feis there is very little room to move and I’m always scrambling to find things in the bag. I’d much rather be organized so it runs smoothly, for the sake of my blood pressure!! Any tips or advice for this first time Mom on surviving what I’ve heard is a crazy but fun competition?! Thank you!!

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Looking for input on different Irish dance schools and how they handle teaching different ages and skill levels.

Our school has an average of twenty or so students per class. In the lower age groups (5-8), I feel like the teachers spend more time babysitting than actually teaching. Some of these kids are just starting, some have been dancing for three years - but all in the same class. This results in me having to pay for weekly private classes from the teachers, in addition to their group classes. Other schools with kids who started when my child did know all of their soft shoe dances and at least two hard shoe. Our current school, not even close.

For the most part we like the environment of our school, but my child is interested in learning more. Is it worth looking at transferring? Or just stick it out and see if it gets better?

I started doing Irish Dancing on a whim awhile back, after being hit by a car in Columbus while out running and wanting a new hobby in addition to running. Did it to support my partner and she was very encouraging. I joined her studio and have loved it ever since. Did a marathon awhile back in 4:03:05, bonking after 22 miles but I didn't have much training--I was not going to miss that one and was motivated to finish despite low mileage and dealing with the effects of the accident. I did the marathon last year in 3:25:24 but what made that one special is that the training from my dance studio helped me cut 38 minutes from my time and I felt strong at mile 22. I continued training in 2024 and am hoping to break 3:20:01. My studio has been so great to me in terms of improving my overall strength and flexibility!

From an Irish Dancing perspective, those who can make it to a major Oireachtas are equivalent to runners who BQ (Boston Qualify) or at least are locals and regional-class runners (men under 3:05 and women under 3:25 for 26.2). These are runners/dancers who have been in the sport for 6-8 years. Those who make it to NANs are equivalent to runners who make it to the Olympic Trials, and those who make it to Worlds are even higher.

Being able to fit in running and dancing has been a challenge but I think most can do it if they are able to plan around both sports. Below is my training log:

DOES NOT include weekly practice/feis prep/private lessons (2 hours/week)

1382.2 total for 2024 (5-9 hours/week)

571.6 miles pre Columbus 10k (1/1 to 6/2)

22 weeks total, 26.0/week, peak of 51 3/2

814.6 miles post Columbus 10k (6/2/24, 43:58)

20 weeks total, 40.7/week, peak of 56 9/22

Post-10k block (20 weeks)

6/3 to 6/9 28

6/10 to 6/16 40

6/17 to 6/23 30.3

6/24 to 6/30 43-141.3 (141.3, 35.3 mpw)

7/1 to 7/7 45

7/8 to 7/14 50

7/15 to 7/21 50

7/22 to 7/28 20.3-306.6 (165.3, 41.3 mpw)

7/29 to 8/4 24

8/5 to 8/11 55

8/12 to 8/18 37

8/19 to 8/25 48

8/26 to 9/1 51-521.6 (215.0, 43.0 mpw)

9/2 to 9/8 45

9/9 to 9/15 54

9/16 to 9/22 56

9/23 to 9/29 50-726.6 (205.0, 51.3 mpw)

9/30 to 10/6 40

10/7 to 10/13 30

10/14 to 10/20 18 (less marathon) 814.6 (88.0, 29.3 mpw)

I’m interested in starting my daughter who just turned 4 in Irish dance but we’ve never done any extracurriculars - just daycare. Would Irish dance be a good first activity or should I start with something “easy” like soccer or something where she can learn about taking direction first? I’ve never taken any dance classes so idk if it’s complicated or not I just think it would be fun to celebrate her history.

Thanks!

I've just started adult classes at 19, and I haven't competed in nearly 10 years. The classes are meant to be casual fun but I'm very eager to start competing again, even if I don't place well. I was just wondering what other adult dancers timelines with it were, I want to have a realistic goal and not get too ahead of myself

I've recently been diagnosed with intermetatarsal bursitis in my right foot and have another few weeks to wait until my first PT appointment. Has anyone else had a diagnosis like this? Mostly looking to know if this is a "stop for 6 weeks" or "stop for 6 months" kind of a time line of healing. Foot strength is so important and my feet have felt great this last year so having this suddenly hit and stunt my dance capabilities is awful. I've missed a few classes and tried to do icing, stretching, etc to help combat the inflammation. Hoping to get back soon but gosh is this a mood killer :(

Hi everyone! I was curious on how scoring for PC and OC works, I had my first feis in 5 years today and just want a better understanding of my score. I know it differs from grades but how does it compare exactly. I got a 75 for Hornpipe U16 and a 76 for Reel, from not dancing in so long I felt pretty good besides my stamina. I know that each judge scores differently so comparing scores across competitions is difficult but is there like a median or “average high”. Having a better gauge of where I stand is what I’m looking for if possible as I prepare for Oireachtas. I placed 2nd overall which I didn’t expect as well!! Thanks so much!!

Is there any website that lists all the upcoming feisanna?

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hey, does anyone know where i can get flooring for a dance studio my mum rents to teach. the last few floorings got ripped by heavy shoes and we don’t know what to do anymore! thank you

I’ve always wondered why specifically in Championship level feis’s give out more unique awards such as plates, bowls, glassware, bears, or candy? Is there a historical significance to it or is it just for fun to go with the sashes? Thanks!

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Hello! I'm an adult Irish dancer getting ready to compete in the oreichtas in November and I just don't have that solo dress money as a mom of 4 other Irish dancers lol. With that being said, I wanted to see if anyone had any tips or pointers on embellishing their dresses? I purchased a black skater dress with pleats for $7.99 and my teacher gave me the approval that it's an appropriate dress but she suggested I bling it out with either rhinestones or embroidery or both. Here are where my questions come!

1. what glue to use for the stones?
2. what is best placement on dress for slimming features?
3. do adults go as hard as the youngers with the level of bling or is that weird? Most adults I've competed with either have their school uniforms which are plain or have simple embroidery so I don't want to stand out in a strange way (unless that's just normal in other areas of the world to be an adult with bling and not just the southeast of USA )
4. Is it good to do both embroidery and stones?

Thanks!!

I have atrocious stage fright and often blank out what I should be dancing. I’m doing my best to practice not just until I know my steps but until I can’t forget them, and to work on reducing the amount of anxiety I have around competition. Long term the goal of course is to not find competitions so stressful (performances are fine), but while I work towards that, I think it would really help if I could practice being under pressure. Does anyone have tips for how to trick yourself into feeling like you’re dancing in a high-stakes scenario when you’re by yourself and the stakes are objectively very low?